Doctors from Cuba? One Year On

I was looking for news from Cuba (seems like that situation sorta dropped off the radar in the past week) on MSNBC, and I found this old article from last September 14. Not to dredge up old news for the sake of nostalgia, but I’d be interested to hear your thoughts, especially now that hurricane season is upon us once more:

KATRINA AID FROM CUBA? NO THANKS, SAYS U.S.

By Mary Murray, Producer, NBC News
Sept. 14, 2005

Dr. Luis Sauchay is the kind of hands-on physician you’d want in an emergency.

…

“I can do a lot of good [in New Orleans],” he stressed, “because I have years of experience dealing with this type of catastrophe.”

…

White House spokesman Scott McClellan scorned the Cuban proposal…”When it comes to Cuba, we have one message for Fidel Castro: He needs to offer the people of Cuba their freedom.”

[well, can’t we save some dying people in the interim? nahhh….]

“Let’s get going,” [a Cuban doctor] said. “This is not political. This is a humanitarian emergency. People are dying and they need our help.”

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Was the White House afraid Cuba might interfere with the federal government’s carefully orchestrated response? Will they reject one of the world’s most generous and elite medical teams if it happens again? My bet says yes, and with a shot of cynicism in the arm to boot.